


Five Times Darius Saved Genn

by Jestana



Category: World of Warcraft
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-12
Updated: 2012-02-12
Packaged: 2017-10-31 00:10:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,391
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/337741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jestana/pseuds/Jestana
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What it says on the tin, folks; follows Genn and Darius' relationship up to the Northgate Rebellion.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Five Times Darius Saved Genn

**Author's Note:**

> After I wrote my first 'five plus one' fic, I decided to write one featuring Genn and Darius. Then I had to decide what it'd be about. Then I had to figure out each scenario. Finally, it's finished. Not connected at all to my other Wow fics. Beta by Unicorn_Catcher and Umbralillium on LJ.

**Five Times Darius Saved Genn**

_One_

Darius Crowley always liked it when his father, Lord Robert Crowley, visited with King Archibald Greymane, because the heir apparent, Prince Genn, was the same age as him. Once allowed to go play, the two redheaded boys would often roam the grounds together, exploring and investigating. This caused much dismay for their respective mothers because they inevitably returned filthy and dishevelled.

One day, the two nine-year-olds were playing near a river by the royal hunting lodge when a curious sound reached their ears. Frowning, they exchanged glances. "Do you hear a cat meowing, Darius?"

"Yes, I do, Genn." The noble-born boy peered through the light sprinkle that had been falling all day. "I don't see any cats nearby, though. Do you?"

"Over there." The prince pointed to a rock in the middle of the river. Crouched on top of the rock was a white ball of fluff. "The poor thing is trapped there."

As his companion started for the river, Darius grabbed the back of his jacket. "Look at the river. It's not safe with all the rain we've had recently."

"We've _always_ had rain recently," Genn retorted, shrugging out of his jacket and continuing towards the cat.

Dropping the jacket with a sigh, he followed the other boy closely. "I'm not going to dissuade you from doing this, am I?"

"No, you're not. That cat's going to drown if we don't rescue it." With that, the prince paused on the bank of the river to remove his boots and socks, shivering as the breeze chilled his now-bare shins. "You can help me if you like."

Doing the same as his friend, Darius waded out into the water first. "Our mothers are going to kill us for getting our clothes wet."

"They were getting wet anyway thanks to the weather," Genn reminded him with a wry smile as he waded into the river as well.

Darius offered a lopsided smile of his own and the two boys supported each other as they waded across the river's buffeting current to the rock where the kitten cowered, its meows increasingly strident and distressed. Wincing as he stepped on the pebbles in the riverbed, he asked, "What do you intend to do with the kitten once you rescue it?"

"I don't know," the prince admitted, grabbing the other boy's shoulder when he lost his balance.

He held his friend steady until he'd regained his footing. "All right, Genn?"

"I'm fine, Darius." Shaking off the other boy's supporting hand, he continued on towards the rock and the kitten on top of it.

Staying near the prince, he lightly rested his hand on the other's back as he scooped up the sopping wet feline and cuddled it against his chest. "Let's get out of here; I almost can't feel my feet anymore."

"Agreed." Nodding, Genn started back toward the bank with their boots.

Holding the kitten now, the prince had trouble maintaining his balance against the increasing current. Darius tried to keep him steady, but the river was too strong, knocking Genn off his feet completely. Clinging to his friend, he thrust the kitten at Darius. "Genn!"

"Don't let the kitten drown!" he told the other boy, the closest to a command the noble-born boy had ever heard from him, just before the rushing water swept away his grip completely.

Bracing himself against the current, Darius made it back to the bank and set the kitten on the prince's discarded jacket. Then he turned back to the river in time to see the prince surface, flailing with his arms. "Genn!"

"Darius! Is the kitten all right?" the prince seized onto a rock and clung to it against the racing current that he could feel growing stronger.

Sparing a brief glance to see that feline in question had hunkered down amongst the fabric, he waded back into the river to go to his friend. "Yes, now hold on and I'll get you."

"The current's too strong," Genn objected, clinging tightly to the rock. "You can't fight it."

Ignoring the objection, he let the current buffet him towards the other boy. "I'm not fighting it and you can't hold on long enough for me to go get help, not with the way the weather is getting worse by the second."

"People'll be looking for us anyway," the prince reminded him, even as he offered a relieved smile when the noble-born boy reached him.

Darius arched an eyebrow even as he pushed his sopping-wet hair out of his face. "Do you _really_ think you can hold on long enough?"

"No," Genn acknowledged with a grim smile as he wrapped one arm around the other boy's shoulders while Darius wrapped one around the prince's waist.

Working together, they re-crossed the river, emerging some distance down from where they'd left their boots. "Here we are: dry land at last."

"Relatively speaking," the slightly smaller boy reminded him with a sheepish smile.

In silence, they returned to their boots and pulled them on. Genn picked up the kitten, still wrapped in his jacket, and they headed back to the hunting lodge together. Naturally, everyone made a huge fuss over the boys when they turned up. They were stripped of their sodden garments and re-dressed in the warmest, driest clothes that could be found. Then they were wrapped in thick, fluffy blankets and made to sit in front of a roaring fire in the nursery as they sipped apple cider, steaming hot from Cook's stove. Once they'd been left alone, Darius asked in a low voice, "Where's the kitten?"

"She's right here." Genn pulled his blanket aside enough for Darius to see the kitten curled up in the prince's lap, asleep.

He reached out and lightly stroked his fingers across her fluffy fur. "Are you keeping her?"

"Of course." The prince petted her as well, their hands bumping. "Otherwise there'd have been no point to rescuing Blanche."

Hiding his amused smile behind his mug, Darius said nothing more. _What would you have done if I hadn't been there to help you out of the river?_ Close on the heels of that thought, he resolved to always be there to pull Genn out of the river when he found himself in over his head.

  
_Two_   


One chilly morning, not long after Genn and Darius turned thirteen, the two boys sat tall and proud in their saddles as they rode out with the king and nobles on their first hunting trip. Everyone wore their warmest clothes and cloaks against the morning fog. Darius' horse tossed her head a bit in protest against going out in the cold. He leaned forward in the saddle and stroked her neck soothingly. "It's all right, girl. You'll get warm, don't worry."

"Having a problem, Darius?" Genn asked with a grin as he pulled up alongside his friend on his own horse.

The mare and stallion touched noses and the contact seemed to calm him, who'd been prancing a little despite the prince's firm grip. "Not anymore. Ginger doesn't like the cold, that's all."

"Neither does Raven, though Ginger seems to have calmed him down," the other teenager observed, the path narrowing so the horses had to literally walk side-by-side, their riders' legs pressed against each other in the process.

Darius shrugged, reaching down to stroke Ginger's brown mane. "He's always had a bit more spirit than her. You know that."

"Yes, I do." Genn looked thoughtfully at the mare.

Before the noble-born teen could ask anything of the prince, the king called his name: "Genn!"

"Coming, Father!" With a tug on Raven's reins and a squeeze of the prince's knees, the black stallion sped up until he caught up with the king's horse, Ebony.

Darius watched father and son for a few moments, and then looked around for his own father. He didn't have to look long as Robert reined in his horse next to Ginger. "Are you dressed warmly enough, Darius?"

"Yes, Father." He nodded, flexing his hands in their new riding gloves, presented to him this morning before they left the hunting lodge.

Robert nodded, pushing a lock of brown hair out of his eyes. "Good. Your mother would have my hide if you caught a cold from this."

"Indeed, she would." He ducked his head to hide a smile as he thought of his mother. Small and petite though she was, Lady Emmaline Crowley never hesitated to stand up to her taller and broader husband if she thought his chosen course of action was the wrong one to take, whether in relation to the villagers of Ambermill and Pyrewood or to the way they were raising Darius and his sister, Lana.

His father clearing his throat drew Darius' attention back to him. "Since this will be the first hunt for both you and Ginger, I want you to be careful you don't overstrain either of yourselves trying to keep up."

"But, Father--" he began, only for the noble to raise a hand to interrupt him.

Face stern, he told his son, "I've no doubt you want to prove yourselves, but not at the expense of your horse and yourself. Ginger is a fine animal and she will serve us well, but not if she pushes herself too much and I'd rather you didn't risk your own life."

"Yes, Father." He stifled a sigh, but he knew Robert was right. He'd heard stories of perfectly good horses ruined because their riders didn't take proper care when they were training them. "It'll be enough that I've even joined the hunt at all."

The lord smiled warmly, clapping a hand on Darius' shoulder. "Once both of you've trained a bit more, you'll be more than ready to keep up."

"Yes, Father," he repeated, reassured by his father's words and smile.

They rode on in silence for a few more moments before the king brought the party to a halt. More than one of them drew their cloaks closer around themselves as they waited for the Master of Hounds to release the dogs and give them a chance to sniff out their prey. Finally, one of the dogs bayed to announce that he'd found the scent and the pack was soon dashing off, the men on horseback close behind them. Bent low over Ginger's neck, Darius followed, feeling his blood pulse with the excitement of the chase. On previous visits, he'd listened to the sound of baying dogs from the hunting lodge with longing. Now that he was on the hunt, a grin of fierce enjoyment curled his lips and he spared a glance for the prince, seeing a similar grin on the other teenager's face.

He looked forward in time to see a jump coming up: an overhanging bank for a river with little hint of what lay on the other side. As the more experienced horsemen thundered on, Darius pulled back on Ginger's reins, slowing her down. He didn't trust himself or his horse to make it. Genn, on the other hand, bent lower against Raven's neck, still galloping full speed ahead. The king apparently saw his son's danger, and called out to him: "Genn!"

"Your Highness! Stop!" Lord Crowley added his cry to King Archibald's.

" _Genn!_ " Darius urged Ginger to speed up again, this time at an angle to intercept the stallion.

He dimly heard his father's voice over the thundering in his ears. " _Darius!_ "

"We have to stop them, Ginger," he murmured to his horse. "Run like you've never run before."

Whinnying, the chestnut mare put on a burst of speed and bowled into the black stallion just a few yards from the bank. Darius, who'd leapt from the saddle at the last moment, pushed himself into a sitting position to see the two horses tangled together, the prince a few yards beyond them, looking unhurt, but angry. Scrambling to his feet, the other redhead stormed towards his friend. The noble-born teenager got to his feet as well, ready to defend himself. Thankfully, the king intervened. "Genn Greymane: come here."

"Yes, Father." Repressed anger in his voice, the prince did as he was commanded.

Relieved that the confrontation had been averted for the moment, Darius walked over to the horses to help them untangle themselves. As he patted and stroked them, he couldn't help overhearing the conversation between father and son: "That was a very foolish risk you intended to take. That's a nasty jump there."

"We could've made it if Darius hadn't run into us," Genn retorted, clearly still angry.

He looked up when his father joined him, smiling weakly. Robert simply clapped him on one shoulder and helped him check both horses for injuries as the king continued to dress down his son. "No, you wouldn't have. Come with me." At a sign from his father, Darius followed the others over to the bank and looked down to see one horse struggling in the water, another tossing its head with piteous sounds on the other bank. The noble who'd been riding the horse in the water seemed more concerned about his mount's struggles than the fact that he was soaked and muddy. The other rider lay under the horse on the bank, groaning with pain. "Lord Walden and Baron Ashbury are both excellent horsemen, with much more experience than you. If they had trouble with this jump, do you think you'd have managed it?"

"Yes, of course!" Though his words were defiant, Darius could see in his friend's face that he didn't actually believe them. The king merely looked sternly at his son. After a few moments, the prince wilted and whispered, "No, Father."

Archibald nodded, a smile replacing the stern look. "I think you need to thank young Darius for giving you a tumble that only bruised your dignity and didn't break any bones."

"Thank you, Darius," Genn muttered, his voice sulky.

Darius glanced at Robert and Archibald, and then back at his friend. "You're welcome, Genn, and I'd do it again if I had to. As the heir to the throne, you shouldn't take risks like that and, if you're not going to keep yourself out of trouble, I'll do it for you."

"Great, I have a keeper now." Though the prince looked exasperated, the noble-born teen was sure he saw a hint of a smile curving the other teen's mouth.

Laughing, the king patted his son's shoulder. Instead of commenting on the observation, he addressed Lord Robert. "How are Raven and Ginger? Did they injure themselves very badly?"

"No, your Majesty," the lord replied with a shake of his head. "Ginger hit Raven just hard enough to knock him off his feet and both of them have some bruises from being knocked about, but nothing that won't mend."

Archibald nodded, looking pleased. "Very good. You boys go back to the lodge. I need to stay and see what can be done for Walden and Ashbury and their horses."

"Yes, Father." Genn trotted over to Raven and swung himself up into the saddle.

At a nod from his own father, Darius went over to Ginger and did the same, following his friend back to the hunting lodge. Noticing the stiff line of the prince's shoulders under his grass-stained cloak, the noble-born teen stifled a sigh. It'd be some time before Genn forgave him for giving him that tumble.

  


_Three_   


Twenty-one-year-old Darius stood with Genn on the deck of the royal ship-of-the-line, the _Silver Ghost_. The royal family regularly took cruises in their ship and often invited nobles to join them. For this particular cruise, the Crowley family had been invited and the two young men stood together at the railing, enjoying the salty fresh air. The warm sun felt so good after the grey, rainy weather of Gilneas that Darius drowsed a bit, his head pillowed on his arms on the railing. He cracked one eye open when he sensed his friend moving beside him, mumbling, "Wazzit?"

"There's a ship coming up on us fast," Genn replied, sounding concerned.

Straightening up, he followed the prince's gaze to a ship that was gaining on them. The design was Gilnean, but he couldn't see the flag that identified it. "Maybe it's one of our trade ships?"

"They wouldn't have a full press of sail like that," the other redhead responded with a shake of his head. "They'd have signalled by now, too."

A sound behind him distracted Darius and he turned to see a signal of their own gliding up into place below the Gilnean flag and royal standard. "Well, _we've_ signalled now."

"Just because _they_ haven't doesn't mean _we_ won't," his friend retorted, glancing up at the quarterdeck, where the king, Robert, and the captain were all grouped together by the wheel, all three gazing intently at the other ship.

A puff of smoke from the bow of said ship and a plume of water from where a cannonball struck the sea seemed answer enough. The captain shouted a command at the sailors while Lord Robert hurried down the stairs from the quarterdeck to where Genn and Darius stood. "Come on, below with the both of you."

"What about you, Father?" Darius asked, even as he turned toward the hatch to go below. "And the king?"

Robert shook his head, catching hold of Genn to keep him from going to join his own father as the deck shuddered beneath them from the impacts of better-aimed cannonballs. "We're needed up here."

"No, my place is with my father," Genn objected, struggling even more when Darius grabbed his other arm.

Holding tight to the prince, Robert told him, "Your father is counting on you to keep the women safe, your Highness." His glance included Darius. "You know where the weapons are kept. Arm yourselves and protect them. Understood?"

"Yes, Father." He nodded, his heart pounding in his chest at the thought of being in an actual battle. He'd trained and sparred with his father's men-at-arms and Genn, but he knew, deep down, that actual fighting would be much different. His opponents would gladly kill him if he gave them that chance. He didn't intend to give them that chance.

After a few moments of glaring, Genn reluctantly nodded. "Very well. I will stay below."

"Thank you, your Highness." Robert looked relieved as the two younger men climbed through the hatch.

Without another word, the two friends headed to the royal cabin, where their mothers and sisters were already gathered, waiting tensely. Lana flung her arms around her brother. "What is it, Darius? What's going on?"

"It's a strange ship attacking us," he replied, watching out of the corner of his eye as Genn reassured his sister, Kita. "It's Gilnean in design, but I didn't see their banner."

Emmaline came over and hugged her son. "Are you and the prince here to protect us?"

"Yes, if it should come to that." They watched as Genn went to a chest bolted to the bulkhead. He pulled a chain from around his neck with a key on it. He used the key to unlock the chest, and then opened it to reveal sheathed swords and oiled blunderbusses.

Excusing himself, Darius joined the prince and the two young men armed themselves with both a sword and blunderbuss. Once they'd done so, Genn turned to the others. "We'll be standing guard outside. Don't open the door to anyone."

"Stay safe, both of you," Queen Kyline told them, managing to look both brave and worried.

Nodding, the young men withdrew and locked the door behind them. That done, they settled in to wait, listening tensely as the sound of cannon fire grew louder, drowned out by the _Silver Ghost_ 's return fire. When the cannons fell silent, Darius looked at Genn, "Does that mean they're gone now?"

"It could also mean we're about to be boarded," the prince replied, looking grim and stern.

They didn't have long to wonder which was the case because King Archibald's voice filtered to them through the deck: "Drive them back, men! For Gilneas!"

"I guess you were right," he commented ruefully to his friend. The prince only nodded, his gaze fixed on the other door. They remained silent as they listened to the sound of hand-to-hand combat that filtered through the wooden planks of the ship.

Whoever their attackers were, they were very determined because the sound of fighting grew louder as it drew inexorably closer. Both young men lifted their blunderbusses when a group of struggling men stumbled into the room. Darius didn't pull his trigger, though, because he risked hitting the sailor if he did. A blast from Genn's blunderbuss hit the attacker and he fell dead in the doorway. Spinning around to see who'd killed the man, the sailor quickly bowed when he saw the prince with the smoking blunderbuss. "Thank you, your Highness."

"As you were, Sailor," Genn replied, reloading his blunderbuss with almost casual ease. "The others will need your help. Go."

Saluting the sailor ran out of the room and back to where the majority of the fighting was taking place. Darius tightened his grip on his blunderbuss as the sound of combat grew ever closer. Soon, a huge group of fighting men crashed into the room. Though he and the prince both fired, there were simply too many men and they were forced to draw swords, keeping their backs to the door as they fought the men. One by one, the four sailors fell, leaving the prince and young noble to fight the last five men themselves. One of their attackers took advantage of Genn's focus on the others to stab him in his side. He didn't have long to savour the moment, though, because the prince parried the others' attacks and swept his sword around to kill the man with a slash across his throat. Grimly, he fought on, but the blood loss showed in his slowed movements and the way he stumbled back against the door. Pressed by his own opponents, Darius could only watch as the prince slumped to the floor, still fighting desperately. "GENN!"

"Don't worry about me, Darius," the other redhead replied, coughing a little even as another thrust got past his weakened defences to slice along his arm.

When the grey eyes fluttered shut, Darius let out a roar of anger and fury and killed one of his opponents. Facing three attackers now, he stooped down to pick up the prince's sword and used both to fight them. Only when all three lay dead in front of him did he turn to the unconscious prince. Pushing the blood-soaked shirt out of the way, he winced when he saw the wound in his side. _Damn, that's going to leave a mark if it doesn't kill him first..._ Remembering his lessons in first aid, he cleaned the wound and bandaged it with strips torn from his shirt. Seizing the keys from his friend's belt, he unlocked the royal cabin and dragged him into the room. "Darius! What happened to the prince?"

"He's been badly hurt," the young man explained to the queen as she hurried forward to look her son over. "There were just so many of them."

Emmaline examined her own son carefully. "You're hurt, too, Darius."

"I am?" He looked down at himself and saw that he had several slashes on his arms and legs that were already clotting with blood. "Oh. I hadn't even noticed."

Lana appeared at his side with bandages, handing them to her mother so the lady could place them over her son's wounds. "Obviously, if I had to point them out to you."

"I had other things on my mind, Mother," he reminded her, standing still under her ministrations nevertheless. Now that they'd been pointed out to him, he could feel every wound.

All of them froze when they heard a voice on the other side of the door. "Who killed these men?"

"The sailors, of course," a second voice replied. "Who else?"

They flinched at the sound of someone being hit. "Don't be stupid. Three sailors couldn't have killed all these men. Look, there's a trail of blood leading to that door. Bet you whoever it was is in there."

"That's the royal cabin," the second voice pointed out. "Do you think the prince is in there?"

A shiver crawled down Darius' spine at the response from the first voice: "He probably is and we'll need to get in there. We need to kill the king _and_ the prince to end the rule of the House of Greymane properly."

"No." Queen Kyline barely stifled her gasp of horror when the full importance of the men's words registered.

Darius looked at his unconscious friend with fresh resolve. He'd promised he would keep the other redhead alive and he was going to do it. Keeping his voice low, he told the queen, "They won't get to Genn if I have anything to say about it."

"One, two, three!" The count from the first voice preceded the sound of two men crashing through the door.

Darius faced them, the two swords ready in his hands. The shorter man glanced at the taller man. "Is he the prince?"

"Maybe," the other man conceded with a malicious smile on his face. "He's the right age and his hair's the right colour."

With that, the two men attacked. Darius fought determinedly, ignoring the fresh wounds they inflicted on him. These two were better fighters than the men he'd fought before, managing to disarm him before he could inflict a mortal wound on either of them. He kept fighting, though, relying on his fists now. A searing agony across his right eye and then his shoulder from the taller man's sword dropped him to the deck, his left hand clutching at his face as his right arm hung useless at his side. Over him, the two men raised their swords for the final blow. "Time to die, prince."

"Not my son, you bastards!" Emmaline cried out, just before two blunderbuss blasts dropped the men to the deck, dead.

The pain was too much for Darius and he passed out, his last thought for his friend: _I failed you, Genn. I'm sorry..._

When he woke up, he was in his berth on the _Silver Ghost_ , the pain from his wounds largely gone, and Lana asleep in a chair nearby. When he tried to speak, he could only whisper: "Lana?"

"Darius!" she gasped, waking up as if she'd been waiting to hear him speak. "It's about time you woke up!"

"What happened?" he whispered, shifting restlessly among the sheets. "Is Genn all right?"

Getting up, she pushed him back down when he would have gotten up. "We won and the king is all right, thanks to you."

"King?" he repeated, staring at her in dismay. "Then it's true? King Archibald _is_ dead?"

She nodded, bowing her head so her brown hair curtained her face. "Yes. He died fighting, just like he would have wanted to go."

"What about Father?" he asked, grabbing for her hand. "He was fighting right beside King Archibald. Did _he_ survive?"

Slowly, Lana shook her head. "No, according the sailors who saw what happened, when King Archibald died, Father killed the man who killed the king, and then killed several others before they managed to kill _him_."

"I see." He lay back on the bed, stunned by the news. "Where's Mother?"

"Sitting with the Queen Mother and Princess Kita," Lana's voice hitched.

Before he could ask another question, the door opened and Genn entered, followed by a priestess Darius didn't recognise. Seeing the new king, Lana rose and curtseyed. "Rise, Miss Crowley." As she did, he turned to the priestess. "Well, Sister Almyra?"

She moved toward Darius and reached out to touch his right temple. When she did, that's when he finally realised that a bandage covered the right side of his face, including his eye. After a long moment during which he felt her power sink into his skull, she withdrew her hand and turned to the king. "I'm sorry, your Majesty, but nothing can be done to save Lord Crowley's eye. It's been too badly damaged."

"Thank you anyway, Sister Almyra. You may return to your duties." The healer curtsied and left the room. Next, Genn turned to Lana. "I believe your mother would appreciate your company right now, Miss Crowley." Curtseying as well, Lana left the room. Finally, Genn turned to Darius. Now that they were alone, the new king's façade cracked and he could see the hurting young man underneath. "The healers tell me I owe you my life twice over, Darius."

He stared at his friend in surprise. "I beg your pardon, your Majesty?"

"We're friends, Darius. You can still call me Genn," the other redhead's voice was gruff as he quickly wiped a hand across his eyes. "You saved my life twice. First by bandaging my wound--" he indicated the spot on his side where he'd been stabbed "--and then by fighting those last two men who would have killed me if you hadn't been there to fight them in my place."

A little hesitantly, the new lord extended one hand to the new king. To his relief, Genn took it and held it in both hands. "I'll always fight for you, Genn, whether as your friend or as a noble of your court."

"Thank you, Darius."

  
_Four_   


"I don't trust her, Lana," twenty-five-year-old Darius told his sister as they stood together at a ball being given in honour of the king's birthday.

She followed his glance over to where Genn stood with a beautiful young woman from Alterac. Tall and slender with thick blonde hair pulled up into an elegant style, Miss Myra Hiero had one hand resting lightly on the king's arm, blue eyes lively as she gazed up at him. "Why not? She has everything the king could want in a wife."

"You know that Father had me study Alterac's history and politics because Ambermill is so close to their domains, right?" He kept his gaze on the pair in question, inwardly acknowledging that Myra looked very stunning in her blue evening gown with silver jewellery gleaming at her neck, wrists, and ears.

His sister sounded puzzled when she responded. "Yes, I remember. What does that have to do with Miss Hiero?"

"None of the noble families have Hiero as a surname," Darius told her, his eye narrowing when the king offered his hand to the blonde and led her onto the dance floor. "Not even a subfamily."

Lana tapped his arm with her fan, her smile fond. "You're just jealous that she wants the king and not you."

"No, I'm not," he denied firmly. "I doubt she's the first to lie about her background, but there's something...off...about her."

Stretching up on tiptoe, the brunette kissed his cheek. "Not jealous, right."

He let her go join her beau, Michael Walden, brother to Lord Walden, who'd been injured during Darius and Genn's first hunt. The noble knew it was useless to make further protestations about his lack of jealousy because Lana wouldn't believe him. Deep down, he knew he _was_ jealous, but not for the reason his sister said. He was jealous of the time Genn spent with _her_ instead of _him_.

However, when the king and Miss Hiero slipped out the doors onto the balcony, presumably for privacy, it wasn't jealousy that made him follow them. It was his instinctive distrust of the woman that led him out onto the balcony as well. When he emerged into the night, he found the two in a passionate embrace. The king's arms were wrapped around the woman's waist, her own about his neck. Ignoring the usual pang that went through him at the sight of his best friend kissing a woman, Darius started to back away to give them the privacy they sought. Something about the way Myra moved her arms stopped him, however. _That doesn't look right. What's that in her hands?_

Right before the lord's horrified eye Myra wrapped her necklace--several loops of fine silver links--around the king's neck and pulled it tight. As the other redhead stiffened and slowly slumped to the ground, unconscious, Darius dashed forward. "GENN!"

"What?! _You're_ not supposed to be here!" Myra released her grip on the necklace to cast a spell at the noble.

"Good thing I am," he practically snarled as he dodged the spell, still rushing towards her and Genn, vaguely aware that guards were rushing onto the balcony.

"Should have known the king's pet _guard dog_ would have been watching," she spat, as she cast a spell that pushed him back from them. "Looks like I'll have to kill you if I want my mission to be a success."

She was so focused on keeping Darius and the guards at bay that she didn't notice the king stirring behind her. The noble did, though, and tried to keep her attention on him. "What mission? To kill the king of Gilneas? You'd never leave here alive."

"At least the House of Greymane would be gone then, leaving the throne to the rightful family." Her scowl twisted her features so they were not as beautiful.

Behind her, the king used the balcony railing to pull himself to his feet, tugging her necklace from around his throat. Still trying to get to them, Darius asked, "Which family would that be?"

"You'll find out when they take the throne," she snapped at him, casting the spell to push him back once again.

Before anyone could ask her another question, Genn wrapped her necklace around her neck and began to strangle her, his voice hoarse as he growled. "Kill me, will you? Not if I kill you first."

"No, Genn!" Darius closed the distance between them and pulled on his friend's arm. "Don't kill her!"

Narrowed green eyes glared at the noble even as the woman slowly lost consciousness and slumped against the king. "She'd have killed me, Darius."

"If you kill her, we won't know who she was working for," he pointed out, still tugging at the arms holding the necklace tight.

After several more moments, the tense muscles under the noble's hands relaxed and the unconscious woman gasped for breath. "Arrest her and make sure she can't use her magic."

"Yes, Sire." The captain gestured to two of the guards and they quickly clapped handcuffs around her wrists, carrying her to Stoneward Prison.

As they left, Darius asked one of the guards to send Sister Almyra. The king scowled when he heard the request. "I'm fine, Darius."

"You were strangled to unconsciousness, Genn," he retorted, folding his arms across his chest as he glared right back. "Your voice sounds different, too."

The other redhead made a sound under his breath that sounded suspiciously like a growl, but didn't protest further. When the priestess arrived, she examined the king and cast a healing spell that removed the bruise forming around his throat. "You should be fine now, but let me know if you have any trouble breathing, swallowing, or speaking, your Majesty."

"Yes, Sister. Thank you." The king paused when he realised his voice was still hoarse and gruff. "Why hasn't my voice changed back?"

Frowning, the healer reached up and lightly touched his neck. "Your vocal chords must have been permanently damaged by the trauma, just like Lord Crowley's eye was by the sword. You can still speak, but your voice will never be the same."

"Very well. Go to the prison and check on Miss Hiero," the king told her, rubbing absently at his throat. "I want her to be able to answer my questions."

"Yes, your Majesty." Curtseying, she left the balcony.

Alone now except for Darius, Genn walked to the railing and looked up at the almost-full moon. Not sure if his presence would be welcome, the noble started towards the doors to the ballroom. "Darius, please stay."

Surprised by the request, he joined the king, resting his hands on the railing as he looked up at the moon as well. "Are you all right?"

"I will be." The green gaze lowered and turned to the noble. "Thank you for saving my life."

He smiled crookedly in reply. "I couldn't do less for my friend."

"You know I'd do the same for you." The king covered his friend's hand with one of his own, squeezing gently.

Turning his hand over, he returned the squeeze. "I know."

  
_Five_   


"You pull that trigger and it _will_ be the last thing you do," Darius warned the dark-haired, dark-eyed man who had a blunderbuss aimed at the king. "I can promise you that."

The stranger glared at the redhead over the sword across his throat. "At least the House of Greymane would be dead."

"No, it wouldn't," the lord retorted, never taking his eye off the other man. "Or haven't you heard the news?"

The dark eyes widened with shock. "Queen Mia gave birth?"

"Just a few days ago." Noticing the man's grip on the blunderbuss loosen, he let go of his sword with one hand to snatch the gun away.

The would-be assassin took advantage of Darius' distraction to drive a knee into the lord's stomach. Doubling over as he tried to draw breath despite his spasming diaphragm, the redhead nevertheless held tight when the black-haired man tried to grab the gun. "Gilneas doesn't belong to the House of Greymane!"

"Who thinks they have a better claim?" he demanded, wheezing as he dropped the sword to grimly hold onto the blunderbuss.

Giving up on the gun, the stranger stooped for the sword, pointing it at Darius. "The House of Hiero should be ruling."

"So Miss Hiero had a strong vested interested in killing Genn." He aimed the blunderbuss at the other man's heart. "Pity she didn't say that when she was being questioned. Would have saved her from going through the interrogation."

Dark eyes narrowed over the steady sword. "What did you do to my sister?"

" _I_ didn't do anything to her." Darius' hold on the gun steadied as his tortured diaphragm calmed. "It was the king and his guards who questioned her."

Despite the blunderbuss aimed at him, the dark-haired man looked down to where the king still stood, talking with his guests. "All the more reason to kill him."

"If you _really_ want to put an end to the House of Greymane, you'll have to kill the baby prince, too," Darius reminded him, the gun still trained on the other man. "Could you _really_ kill a baby?"

"YES!" Roaring his answer, he lunged toward the lord.

Without a second thought, he squeezed the trigger and the man fell dead at Darius' booted feet, shot through the heart. He looked up when the royal guards arrived, swords drawn. "Gentlemen, the threat of assassination is gone."

"How can you be sure?" the captain of the guard asked the question, looking suspiciously from Darius to the dead body at his feet and back again.

He held up the blunderbuss. "This was his intended weapon. I disarmed him myself."

"And shot him with it," the captain added, looking sceptical. "How do we know _you're_ not the assassin?"

The guards exchanged looks. This captain was new to the post and clearly hadn't realised just how close the king and noble were. "I've known the king since we were boys. I've had plenty of chances to kill him myself, yet I haven't."

"He's right, cap'n." One of the guards dared to speak up. "Lord Crowley an' the king 'ave always been good friends."

The king arrived then with the queen beside him. "Did our plan work, Darius?"

"It did, Genn." He indicated the corpse at his feet. "The good captain, however, seems to think that _I'm_ the one who wishes to kill you."

The other redhead's expression hardened then and he turned to the man in question. "I've trusted Darius with my life on numerous occasions, Captian and, what's more, I'd trust him with the lives of my wife and my unborn child."

"Soon to be born, Genn," Mia gasped, grabbing his arm for support as she wrapped her other arm around her stomach.

His harsh expression disappeared, to be replaced by one that was both tender and worried; the king wrapped an arm around his wife. "Someone send for Sister Almyra."

"I'm here, your Majesty." The priestess slipped between two of the guards and addressed her next statement to the queen. "You've gone into labour?"

Mia nodded, stiffening with a gasp in her husband's embrace. "Yes, just now."

"Very well. We need to get you to the hospital wing." In minutes, the priestess had two of the guards carrying the queen in that direction, the two men following.

Casting concerned glances at his wife periodically, Genn addressed Darius. "Tell me exactly what happened."

"Your hunch that he'd shoot from that balcony was correct," he began, and then explained exactly what had transpired between him the would-be assassin. "I'd hoped the thought of having to kill a baby would stop him, but I suppose he was too set on killing you and every last trace of your house."

The other redhead clapped a hand on his friend's broad shoulder. "Thank you, old friend. You saved my life again today."

"Regardless of what others suspect, your life will always be safe in my hands."

"And yours will always be safe in mine."

  
**And One Time Genn Saved Darius**   


"Enter!" Genn commanded when someone knocked on the door to his study. He looked up from his papers when the door opened and closed, followed by the sound of a precise tread crossing the room to stand before his desk. A soldier stood before him and saluted when the king looked up. Returning the salute, he asked, "What brings you here, soldier?"

His posture stiffening even further, if that was possible, the man told him, "Sire, the rebel leader has been arrested. What do you wish us to do with Lord Crowley?"

"Take him to Stoneward Prison," the redhead ordered him, ignoring the way his heart stumbled to a stop, and then started again double-time at the mention of his childhood friend.

The soldier hesitated, his military façade crumbling under his surprise. "Your Majesty?"

"Do you have hearing problems, soldier?" he demanded more harshly than he intended to hide the turmoil his emotions were in now.

Shaking his head, the soldier took a step back. "No, Sire."

"Dismissed." He practically growled the word, barely managing to return the man's salute.

Once the door closed behind him, Genn slumped back in his seat, scrubbing his face with his hands. _Why did you have to go and get yourself captured, Darius?_

"Genn? Is something wrong?" Mia had entered as quietly as she always did and now stood beside his chair.

He dropped his hands with a sigh and gently drew her down to sit on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed the top of his head. Resting his head on her shoulder, he told her, "Darius has been captured."

"When was he captured?" she asked, combing her fingers through his mostly-grey hair. There was little red left now.

He shrugged, a little ashamed that he hadn't thought to ask. "I assumed not too long ago, but it may have been longer."

"Once word gets out, many people are going to demand that you execute him," Mia pointed out quietly, her voice mild as always.

Genn sighed deeply. _Godfrey especially. He and Crowley have never liked each other much..._ "I know, but I won't do it. Not with so many years of friendship between us."

"I'd wish you luck dealing with the repercussions of such a decision, but I know you won't need it." Her voice was wry and he couldn't stop the ironic smile curving his lips.

Cupping the back of her neck with one hand, he gently tugged her down for a soft kiss. She knew him too well. The only person who knew him better was Darius and that was why he couldn't order the man's execution. _We may be at odds now, but I still consider him a friend and friends don't have their friends executed..._

  
**End**   



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